The archaeological site ‘HORREUM MARGI’ is located between the Ravanica and Velika Morava rivers in the very center of Ćuprija, mostly within the area of the ‘Miodrag Novaković - Džudža’ barracks. By decision of the Ćuprija Municipal Assembly No. 06-153/90-01 dated December 4, 1990, the ancient fortress HORREUM MARGI was declared a cultural heritage - an archaeological site, and the process of categorizing the site as a cultural propery of great importance is currently underway.

Among the Roman sites in the Velika Morava Valley mentioned in ancient sources and modern literature, Horreum Margi - The Granary of Morava holds one of the most prominent places. The fortress was located on the Roman military road Via Militaris, which connected the Roman provinces of Central Europe - Pannonia, Noricum, Rhaetia - with the Balkan provinces - Moesia Inferior, Dalmatia - and the territory of present-day Greece during the 3rd century AD. Its strategic importance was further enhanced by the Velika Morava River, on whose banks it was built and which served as a crucial transportation route during antiquity.

The scope of the first phase of project, which was funded by the Ministry of Culture,
and the investor is the Horreum Margi - Ravno Museum, Ćuprija

Construction

The walls are built of stone, while the tower is constructed with stone and bricks in layers, using lime mortar. The architects of the Cultural Heritage Preservation Institute Kragujevac are overseeing the conservation and providing expert supervision of the conservation work on the walls and tower.

Protective Measures

The construction site is secured, with an informational sign places at the entrance. Scaffolding has been installed, and protective tarps and plastic sheets have been set up to enable work and protect the walls during the ongoing work and at night to guard against precipitation and temperature changes. After the completion of work, the area was cleaned, and the scaffolding and tarps were removed.

A detailed cleaning of the crown and faces of the walls from vegetation, earth deposits, dust, and removed mortar was carried out. The existing cement mortar joints on the crown of the tower and the walls were removed using chisels and pointed tools, as deeply as possible. The loose stone from the existing crown wall treatment (larger pieces) was removed, cleaned and prepared for reinstallation. After cleaning, the crowns of the walls were thoroughly washed high-pressure water. On parts of the wall where significant damage was present, the stone was carefully removed from the surface and filled until healthy structure was reached. The joints were deepened and normally and meticulously cleaned, followed by washing with high-pressure water. Visible damage to the faces of the walls caused by the falling or crushing of one or more stones was properly sealed and blocked with stone and hydraulic lime mortar. Rebuilding parts of the walls were done using the existing broken stone and brick, following the pattern of the original with lime mortar. The pointing of the stone and brick walls was done, as well as the treatment of the crown of the wall.